| The TAPR Open Hardware License |
| Version 1.0 (May 25, 2007) |
| Copyright 2007 TAPR - http://www.tapr.org/OHL |
| |
| PREAMBLE |
| |
| Open Hardware is a thing - a physical artifact, either electrical or |
| mechanical - whose design information is available to, and usable by, |
| the public in a way that allows anyone to make, modify, distribute, and |
| use that thing. In this preface, design information is called |
| "documentation" and things created from it are called "products." |
| |
| The TAPR Open Hardware License ("OHL") agreement provides a legal |
| framework for Open Hardware projects. It may be used for any kind of |
| product, be it a hammer or a computer motherboard, and is TAPR's |
| contribution to the community; anyone may use the OHL for their Open |
| Hardware project. |
| |
| Like the GNU General Public License, the OHL is designed to guarantee |
| your freedom to share and to create. It forbids anyone who receives |
| rights under the OHL to deny any other licensee those same rights to |
| copy, modify, and distribute documentation, and to make, use and |
| distribute products based on that documentation. |
| |
| Unlike the GPL, the OHL is not primarily a copyright license. While |
| copyright protects documentation from unauthorized copying, modification, |
| and distribution, it has little to do with your right to make, distribute, |
| or use a product based on that documentation. For better or worse, patents |
| play a significant role in those activities. Although it does not prohibit |
| anyone from patenting inventions embodied in an Open Hardware design, and |
| of course cannot prevent a third party from enforcing their patent rights, |
| those who benefit from an OHL design may not bring lawsuits claiming that |
| design infringes their patents or other intellectual property. |
| |
| The OHL addresses unique issues involved in the creation of tangible, |
| physical things, but does not cover software, firmware, or code loaded |
| into programmable devices. A copyright-oriented license such as the GPL |
| better suits these creations. |
| |
| How can you use the OHL, or a design based upon it? While the terms and |
| conditions below take precedence over this preamble, here is a summary: |
| |
| * You may modify the documentation and make products based upon it. |
| |
| * You may use products for any legal purpose without limitation. |
| |
| * You may distribute unmodified documentation, but you must include the |
| complete package as you received it. |
| |
| * You may distribute products you make to third parties, if you either |
| include the documentation on which the product is based, or make it |
| available without charge for at least three years to anyone who requests |
| it. |
| |
| * You may distribute modified documentation or products based on it, if |
| you: |
| * License your modifications under the OHL. |
| * Include those modifications, following the requirements stated |
| below. |
| * Attempt to send the modified documentation by email to any of the |
| developers who have provided their email address. This is a good |
| faith obligation - if the email fails, you need do nothing more |
| and may go on with your distribution. |
| |
| * If you create a design that you want to license under the OHL, you |
| should: |
| * Include this document in a file named LICENSE (with the appropriate |
| extension) that is included in the documentation package. |
| * If the file format allows, include a notice like "Licensed under |
| the TAPR Open Hardware License (www.tapr.org/OHL)" in each |
| documentation file. While not required, you should also include |
| this notice on printed circuit board artwork and the product |
| itself; if space is limited the notice can be shortened or |
| abbreviated. |
| * Include a copyright notice in each file and on printed circuit |
| board artwork. |
| * If you wish to be notified of modifications that others may make, |
| include your email address in a file named "CONTRIB.TXT" or |
| something similar. |
| |
| * Any time the OHL requires you to make documentation available to |
| others, you must include all the materials you received from the |
| upstream licensors. In addition, if you have modified the |
| documentation: |
| * You must identify the modifications in a text file (preferably |
| named "CHANGES.TXT") that you include with the documentation. |
| That file must also include a statement like "These modifications |
| are licensed under the TAPR Open Hardware License." |
| * You must include any new files you created, including any |
| manufacturing files (such as Gerber files) you create in the |
| course of making products. |
| * You must include both "before" and "after" versions of all files |
| you modified. |
| * You may include files in proprietary formats, but you must also |
| include open format versions (such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, |
| or PDF) if your tools can create them. |
| |
| TERMS AND CONDITIONS |
| |
| 1. Introduction |
| 1.1 This Agreement governs how you may use, copy, modify, and |
| distribute Documentation, and how you may make, have made, and |
| distribute Products based on that Documentation. As used in this |
| Agreement, to "distribute" Documentation means to directly or indirectly |
| make copies available to a third party, and to "distribute" Products |
| means to directly or indirectly give, loan, sell or otherwise transfer |
| them to a third party. |
| |
| 1.2 "Documentation" includes: |
| (a) schematic diagrams; |
| (b) circuit or circuit board layouts, including Gerber and other |
| data files used for manufacture; |
| (c) mechanical drawings, including CAD, CAM, and other data files |
| used for manufacture; |
| (d) flow charts and descriptive text; and |
| (e) other explanatory material. |
| Documentation may be in any tangible or intangible form of expression, |
| including but not limited to computer files in open or proprietary |
| formats and representations on paper, film, or other media. |
| |
| 1.3 "Products" include: |
| (a) circuit boards, mechanical assemblies, and other physical parts |
| and components; |
| (b) assembled or partially assembled units (including components |
| and subassemblies); and |
| (c) parts and components combined into kits intended for assembly |
| by others; |
| which are based in whole or in part on the Documentation. |
| |
| 1.4 This Agreement applies to any Documentation which contains a |
| notice stating it is subject to the TAPR Open Hardware License, and to |
| all Products based in whole or in part on that Documentation. If |
| Documentation is distributed in an archive (such as a "zip" file) which |
| includes this document, all files in that archive are subject to this |
| Agreement unless they are specifically excluded. Each person who |
| contributes content to the Documentation is referred to in this |
| Agreement as a "Licensor." |
| |
| 1.5 By (a) using, copying, modifying, or distributing the |
| Documentation, or (b) making or having Products made or distributing |
| them, you accept this Agreement, agree to comply with its terms, and |
| become a "Licensee." Any activity inconsistent with this Agreement will |
| automatically terminate your rights under it (including the immunities |
| from suit granted in Section 2), but the rights of others who have |
| received Documentation, or have obtained Products, directly or |
| indirectly from you will not be affected so long as they fully comply |
| with it themselves. |
| |
| 1.6 This Agreement does not apply to software, firmware, or code |
| loaded into programmable devices which may be used in conjunction with |
| Documentation or Products. Such software is subject to the license |
| terms established by its copyright holder(s). |
| |
| 2. Patents |
| 2.1 Each Licensor grants you, every other Licensee, and every |
| possessor or user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and royalty-free |
| immunity from suit under any patent, patent application, or other |
| intellectual property right which he or she controls, to the extent |
| necessary to make, have made, possess, use, and distribute Products. |
| This immunity does not extend to infringement arising from modifications |
| subsequently made by others. |
| |
| 2.2 If you make or have Products made, or distribute Documentation |
| that you have modified, you grant every Licensor, every other Licensee, |
| and every possessor or user of Products a perpetual, worldwide, and |
| royalty-free immunity from suit under any patent, patent application, or |
| other intellectual property right which you control, to the extent |
| necessary to make, have made, possess, use, and distribute Products. |
| This immunity does not extend to infringement arising from modifications |
| subsequently made by others. |
| |
| 2.3 To avoid doubt, providing Documentation to a third party for the |
| sole purpose of having that party make Products on your behalf is not |
| considered "distribution,"\" and a third party's act of making Products |
| solely on your behalf does not cause that party to grant the immunity |
| described in the preceding paragraph. |
| |
| 2.4 These grants of immunity are a material part of this Agreement, |
| and form a portion of the consideration given by each party to the |
| other. If any court judgment or legal agreement prevents you from |
| granting the immunity required by this Section, your rights under this |
| Agreement will terminate and you may no longer use, copy, modify or |
| distribute the Documentation, or make, have made, or distribute |
| Products. |
| |
| 3. Modifications |
| You may modify the Documentation, and those modifications will become |
| part of the Documentation. They are subject to this Agreement, as are |
| Products based in whole or in part on them. If you distribute the |
| modified Documentation, or Products based in whole or in part upon it, |
| you must email the modified Documentation in a form compliant with |
| Section 4 to each Licensor who has provided an email address with the |
| Documentation. Attempting to send the email completes your obligations |
| under this Section and you need take no further action if any address |
| fails. |
| |
| 4. Distributing Documentation |
| 4.1 You may distribute unmodified copies of the Documentation in its |
| entirety in any medium, provided that you retain all copyright and other |
| notices (including references to this Agreement) included by each |
| Licensor, and include an unaltered copy of this Agreement. |
| 4.2 You may distribute modified copies of the Documentation if you |
| comply with all the requirements of the preceding paragraph and: |
| (a) include a prominent notice in an ASCII or other open format |
| file identifying those elements of the Documentation that you |
| changed, and stating that the modifications are licensed under |
| the terms of this Agreement; |
| (b) include all new documentation files that you create, as well as |
| both the original and modified versions of each file you change |
| (files may be in your development tool's native file format, |
| but if reasonably possible, you must also include open format, |
| such as Gerber, ASCII, Postscript, or PDF, versions); |
| (c) do not change the terms of this Agreement with respect to |
| subsequent licensees; and |
| (d) if you make or have Products made, include in the Documentation |
| all elements reasonably required to permit others to make |
| Products, including Gerber, CAD/CAM and other files used for |
| manufacture. |
| |
| 5. Making Products |
| 5.1 You may use the Documentation to make or have Products made, |
| provided that each Product retains any notices included by the Licensor |
| (including, but not limited to, copyright notices on circuit boards). |
| 5.2 You may distribute Products you make or have made, provided that |
| you include with each unit a copy of the Documentation in a form |
| consistent with Section 4. Alternatively, you may include either (i) an |
| offer valid for at least three years to provide that Documentation, at |
| no charge other than the reasonable cost of media and postage, to any |
| person who requests it; or (ii) a URL where that Documentation may be |
| downloaded, available for at least three years after you last distribute |
| the Product. |
| |
| 6. NEW LICENSE VERSIONS |
| TAPR may publish updated versions of the OHL which retain the same |
| general provisions as the present version, but differ in detail to |
| address new problems or concerns, and carry a distinguishing version |
| number. If the Documentation specifies a version number which applies |
| to it and "any later version", you may choose either that version or any |
| later version published by TAPR. If the Documentation does not specify |
| a version number, you may choose any version ever published by TAPR. |
| TAPR owns the copyright to the OHL, but grants permission to any person |
| to copy, distribute, and use it in unmodified form. |
| |
| 7. WARRANTY AND LIABILITY LIMITATIONS |
| 7.1 THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED ON AN"AS-IS" BASIS WITHOUT |
| WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. ALL |
| WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY |
| WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND |
| TITLE, ARE HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMED. |
| 7.2 IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW WILL ANY LICENSOR |
| BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, |
| INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF |
| THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE DOCUMENTATION OR PRODUCTS, |
| INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CLAIMS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY |
| INFRINGEMENT OR LOSS OF DATA, EVEN IF THAT PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE |
| POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. |
| 7.3 You agree that the foregoing limitations are reasonable due to |
| the non-financial nature of the transaction represented by this |
| Agreement, and acknowledge that were it not for these limitations, the |
| Licensor(s) would not be willing to make the Documentation available to |
| you. |
| 7.4 You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold each Licensor harmless |
| from any claim brought by a third party alleging any defect in the |
| design, manufacture, or operation of any Product which you make, have |
| made, or distribute pursuant to this Agreement. |
| #### |